Document mapped-object placement upon background change

Abstract

Various embodiments illustrated and described herein provide one or more of systems, methods, and software operable to process multilayered documents including form fields. Some embodiments, are operable to process a new or modified background layer image to identify input fields, to match the identified fields with metadata in foreground layer data defining interactive input fields, and to modify the mappings of the input fields defined within the foreground layer of a page description language document as a function of identified input fields in the modified background layer image.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computerized method comprising:
 receiving a location modification to background layer data of a multilayered, electronic document file including the background layer data and foreground layer data, the foreground layer data including metadata defining properties of form input fields, the metadata including:
 first metadata defining a location in the foreground layer corresponding to a location in the background layer data upon which the form input fields are to be displayed in a rendering of the electronic document file; and 
 second metadata naming each form input field defined in the foreground layer data; 
 
 identifying elements within the modified background layer data as background layer input fields, wherein the location modification moved at least one of the elements from a first location in a background layer to second location in the background layer; 
 comparing the foreground layer form input fields to background layer input fields to identify matching input fields; 
 modifying first metadata of the foreground layer form input fields to locations of the matched background layer input fields. 
 
     
     
       2. The computerized method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the multilayered document including the modified background layer data and the modified first metadata of the foreground layer. 
 
     
     
       3. The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the modification to the background layer data includes:
 replacing an existing image in the background layer data with a newly received image. 
 
     
     
       4. The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying elements within the modified background layer data as the background layer input fields includes:
 performing one or more edge detecting techniques to identify likely input field shapes and locations thereof. 
 
     
     
       5. The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the identifying elements within the modified background layer data as background layer input fields includes:
 naming each of the one or more background layer input fields as a function of text in the modified background layer data located in relation to each respective background layer input field; and 
 
 the comparing of the foreground layer form input fields to the background layer input fields to identify the matching input fields includes:
 comparing names of the foreground layer form input fields to names of background layer input fields to identify likely matches. 
 
 
     
     
       6. The computerized method of  claim 5 , wherein text in the background layer data located in relation to a background layer input field includes text located within a boundary of an identified background layer input field. 
     
     
       7. The computerized method of  claim 5 , wherein a likely match between a background layer input field name and an foreground layer form input field name is an exact match. 
     
     
       8. The computerized method of  claim 1 , wherein the comparing of the foreground layer form input fields to the background layer input fields to identify matches includes:
 matching locations of background layer input fields identified within the modified background layer data to locations defined in the first metadata of the foreground layer form input fields. 
 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer program product embodied on a computer-readable medium, comprising instructions executable by a computer processor to cause a computer to perform actions comprising:
 receiving a location modification to background layer data of a multilayered, electronic document file including the background layer data and foreground layer data, the foreground layer data including metadata defining properties of form input fields, the metadata including:
 first metadata defining a location in the foreground layer corresponding to a location in the background layer data upon which the form input fields are to be displayed in a rendering of the electronic document file; and 
 second metadata naming each form input field defined in the foreground layer data; 
 
 identifying elements within the modified background layer data as background layer input fields, wherein the location modification moved at least one of the elements from a first location in a background layer to second location in the background layer; 
 comparing the foreground layer form input fields to background layer input fields to identify matching input fields; 
 modifying first metadata of the foreground layer form input fields to locations of the matched background layer input fields. 
 
     
     
       10. The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 9 , comprising further instructions executable by the computer processor to cause the computer to perform further actions comprising:
 storing the multilayered document including the modified background layer data and the modified first metadata of the foreground layer. 
 
     
     
       11. The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the receiving of the modification to the background layer data includes:
 replacing an existing image in the background layer data with a newly received image. 
 
     
     
       12. The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the identifying elements within the modified background layer data as the background layer input fields includes:
 performing one or more edge detecting techniques to identify likely input field shapes and locations thereof. 
 
     
     
       13. The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the identifying elements within the modified background layer data as background layer input fields includes:
 naming each of the one or more background layer input fields as a function of text in the modified background layer data located in relation to each respective background layer input field; and 
 
 the comparing of the foreground layer form input fields to the background layer input fields to identify the matching input fields includes:
 comparing names of the foreground layer form input fields to names of background layer input fields to identify likely matches. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein text in the background layer data located in relation to a background layer input field includes text located within a boundary of an identified background layer input field. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein a likely match between a background layer input field name and an foreground layer form input field name is an exact match. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer program product of  claim 9 , wherein the comparing of the foreground layer form input fields to the background layer input fields to identify matches includes:
 matching locations of background layer input fields identified within the modified background layer data to locations defined in the first metadata of the foreground layer form input fields. 
 
     
     
       17. A system comprising:
 a receiver operable to a location modification to background layer data of a multilayered, electronic document file including the background layer data and foreground layer data, the foreground layer data including metadata defining properties of form input fields, the metadata including:
 first metadata defining a location in the foreground layer corresponding to a location in the background layer data upon which the form input fields are to be displayed in a rendering of the electronic document file; and 
 second metadata naming each form input field defined in the foreground layer data; 
 
 a form field recognizer operable to identify elements within the modified background layer data as background layer input fields, wherein the location modification moved at least one of the elements from a first location in a background layer to second location in the background layer; 
 a comparator operable to compare the foreground layer form input fields to background layer input fields to identify matching input fields; and 
 a layer builder operable against the first metadata of the foreground layer form input fields to modify the first metadata to locations of the matched background layer input fields. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the form field recognizer is operable to identify elements within the modified background layer data as background layer input fields through performance of one or more edge detecting techniques to identify likely input field shapes and locations thereof. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a user interface module operable to cause one or more user interfaces to display data and receive input, the one or more user interfaces including:
 a view of the modified background layer data including an identification of the background layer form fields; 
 a view including a representation of the foreground layer form input fields; and 
 one or more user interface controls operable to receive input linking the foreground layer form input fields to the background layer input fields.